I'll be continuing my fill-in work on Alabama News Rising this week with Ryan Stinnett on weather, Kay McKabe sharing the news duties, Jerry Howell on traffic duty and Adam Solomon on sports! Join us 4:30 - 7:00AM on CBS 8 or ABC 32 in Montgomery. 

You can also watch online from just about anywhere at www.alabamanews.net

 

 From Becker's Health Care:

"The No Surprises Act isn't slated to go into effect until 2022, and millions of Americans will be vulnerable to surprise medical bills in the meantime.

The No Surprises Act, a measure to end surprise medical bills for emergency and scheduled care, was passed in December when then-President Donald Trump signed a $1.4 trillion year-end spending bill into law. 

Currently, 18 states offer comprehensive protections against surprise billing, and 15 states offer partial protections, according to the Commonwealth Fund."

 

ALABAMA is not one of them. 

Don't get sick!

See the full list HERE.

 

CDC Health Warning for Alabama + A Dozen Other States

 "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this health advisory to notify clinicians and caregivers about increased interseasonal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity across parts of the Southern United States" (including Alabama).

"RSV is an RNA virus of the genus Orthopneumovirus, family Pneumoviridae, primarily spread via respiratory droplets when a person coughs or sneezes, and through direct contact with a contaminated surface

Infants, young children, and older adults with chronic medical conditions are at risk of severe disease from RSV infection. Each year in the United States, RSV leads to on average approximately 58,000 hospitalizations¹ with 100-500 deaths among children younger than 5 years old² and 177,000 hospitalizations with 14,000 deaths among adults aged 65 years or older"

A Baptist Schism? Alabama Pastor is a player.

 From a New York Times article about the contentious Southern Baptist Convention meeting that begins next week in Nashville:

"The most high-profile vote at the meeting will be the election of a new president, a race whose leading candidates are Mike Stone, a Georgia pastor who is the favorite of many conservatives, including Mr. Nelson and Mr. Jolly; Ed Litton* an Alabama pastor who has largely avoided culture war battles and has the support of the denomination’s first Black president; and Albert Mohler Jr., a lion of the denomination who helped usher in a conservative revolution decades ago and is now in the awkward position of being labeled a moderate “compromise candidate.” Mr. Stone, a onetime underdog, is considered a serious contender.

No matter which side emerges triumphant from the meeting next week, a schism looms."

 

*I added this link to the Times story.

Arrest in East Alabama/Georgia shootings

 CNN report:

"Police believe the shootings began across the Chattahoochee River in neighboring Phenix City, Alabama, where a person was shot multiple times outside a hotel at about 8:15 p.m. (9:15 p.m. ET) Friday night, according to Blackmon.

Two hours later, three people were shot outside a downtown Columbus restaurant, police said. On Saturday, shortly after 2 p.m., another person was shot about eight blocks away from the earlier downtown shooting."

 

My Mom passed 20 years ago today. RIP!

 

          Mom & I in the Bronx, about 1960.

Popular Constitutional Adjustments for Alabama Constitution

 

  Every now and then people in Alabama mount an effort to make several changes to the state constitution. Those include Initiative, Referendum and Recall.

     They never go anywhere because the changes would make the legislature less powerful, and the Legislature has to approve them.

     But you might be interested to know that there is a constitution in Alabama that does allow those powers. The Constitution of the Poarch Creek Indians:

• Section 1. - Initiative
• Upon receipt and verification by the Election Board of a petition of at least thirty (30) percent of the General Council of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians a proposed ordinance or resolution made by the people shall be submitted for a vote by the General Council at a regular or special election to be held within sixty (60) days of verification of the petition by the Election Board. The vote of a majority of those actually voting shall be conclusive and binding upon the Tribal Council.

• Section 2. - Referendum
• Upon the request of two thirds of the total membership of the Tribal Council, any proposed or previously enacted ordinance or resolution of the Tribal Council shall be submitted for a vote by the General Council at a regular or special election to be held within sixty (60) days of the vote by the Tribal Council. The vote by a majority of at least thirty (30) percent of the General Council shall be conclusive and binding upon the Tribal Council.

• Section 3. - Recall

Upon receipt and verification by the Election Board of a petition of at least thirty (30) percent of the General Council of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, it shall be the duty of the Election Board to call a special election to consider the recall of the elected tribal official named in the petition. The election shall be held within sixty (60) days of receipt of the petition by the Election Board, provided that if the petition is received less than six (6) months prior to the annual election, the Election Board may direct that the matter be placed on the ballot of that election. If a majority of those actually voting favor the recall of the official, the office shall be declared vacant and filled in accordance with Article VII, Section 4 of this Constitution. If the recall fails, that officer cannot be recalled again for twelve (12) months. 

 

 

     So there. Native Americans in Alabama have some freedoms not granted to non-Native American residents.


      Also, the tribe does not pay any taxes. That could change if Alabama elected officials agreed to a compact agreement with the tribe that could, in return, allow the tribe to offer a higher level of gambling at their casinos---like card games.  

Birmingham #3 in U.S. for Murders...Montgomery ranks #26

 

 

#1 Saint Louis

#2 Baltimore

#3 Birmingham

#21 Tuscaloosa

#26 Montgomery

CBS has the list of the top 65 U.S. cities HERE.

 

Judge dismisses famers of color loan forgiveness program.

 

" federal judge has halted a loan forgiveness program for farmers of color in response to a lawsuit alleging the program discriminates against White farmers.

U.S. District Judge William Griesbach in Milwaukee issued a temporary restraining order Thursday suspending the program for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The program pays up to 120% of direct or guaranteed farm loan balances for Black, American Indian, Hispanic, Asian American or Pacific Islander farmers. President Joe Biden's administration created the loan forgiveness program as part of its $1.9 trillion COVID-19 pandemic relief plan."

Source: CBS News story. 

The suit was filed by "The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty".

Which makes me wonder...where was that group during all of the decades during which it was black farmers getting the short end of the deal? 

Oh, they were only founded in 2011? I see.

Just FYI, HERE is a history of loan inequality by race.

Fake Zoo History Still Posted Online

 

   Two and a half years ago, I posted a story about the time in 1960 when Montgomery officials shut down the pool and fledgling zoo at Oak Park, rather than follow federal court orders to allow children and adults of color use the facilities.

     I pointed out that the zoo's official timeline still explained away the decision, citing "racial violence".

1960 

"Oak Park closed for the next 11 years due to racial violence"

     That message is still there today.

     Isn't it time to at least eliminate that reference in the Zoo timeline?...or better yet, write the truth?

Yes...another week!

      Yes, I'll be back next week, continuing my fill-in work on Alabama News Rising with Ryan Stinnett with weather, Kay McKabe sharing the news duties, and Jerry Howell on traffic duty. 4:30 - 7:00AM on CBS 8 or ABC 32 in Montgomery. You can also watch online from just about anywhere at www.alabamanews.net

Southern Baptist Convention: "Not a safe place for African-Americans & People of Color".

 

"The Rev. Joel Bowman Sr., senior pastor of Temple of Faith Baptist Church in Louisville, said his African American church maintains ties to Southern Baptists at the state and local level, but plans to sever its nominal ties with the national convention.

“The SBC to me is not currently a safe place for African Americans and other people of color,” he said. “There are probably a number of churches and pastors who would leave the SBC, but because they’re so financially tied to the denomination, they’re probably slower to leave.”

 

From an Associated Press story at AL.COM. 

The photo of the photo of the photo.....

 

Friend and former APT co-worker Sandra Polizos, being photographed with her photo that was juried into the Montgomery Art Guild exhibit at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. The photographer is Bob Corley, also a friend and former APT co-worker (in addition to being Sandra's husband)😀.

I also have work in the show, which is open till August 1st. You can take a virtual tour HERE...but I recommend an actual visit.

The World: Alone (Official Music Video) - Sam Williams

A Conscious Cosmos?

"Humans relate to animals and can imagine, say, dogs and cats have some amount of consciousness because we see their facial expressions and how they appear to make decisions. But just because we don’t “relate to” rocks, the ocean, or the night sky, that isn’t the same as proving those things don’t have consciousness."

From an article exploring the question of whether the universe itself has an awareness, a conscience.